


Yes Zelgadis

by tainry



Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, M/M, some horror elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 14:29:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6082902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tainry/pseuds/tainry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zel's quest to rid himself of part of his chimera nature goes  horribly wrong. Lina and Gourry show up to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yes Zelgadis

**Author's Note:**

> For the Zel/Gou yahoo groups Lyric Wheel 2002. Certain elements borrowed from Storm Constantine's _Calenture_.

It was a hot October. Despite the shortening days, the sun beat down unmercifully, making the golds and reds and oranges of the turning leaves shimmer like molten steel. Lina and Gourry shuffled along the dusty track, only the rumbling of their stomachs goading them onward through the stifling afternoon. 

"Ne, Lina," Gourry mumbled. "'F we go this way can get dinner. Farm. Nice."

"'Kay," slurred Lina. They staggered off the main track onto a little cart-trail, plunging them into what should have been blessed shade. But even the shadows burned in the currentless air. Insects droned in the trees, but the birds were flattened silent by the heat. After some bludgeoned time, Lina and Gourry dripped out into a clearing - the fore-yard of a little free-hold farm. The sere fields wavered out back, from this distance seeming consumed by strange, pale fire. 

Lina roused herself slightly. Figures of crimson, weirdly shaped, dotted the yard in front of the large, neat cottage. The sun struck rainbow sparks from within them, shifted toward the red end of the spectrum.

Gourry, letting his feet alone lead him down the familiar path, opened his eyes and saw them, too. Struggling against sluggishness, his brain put together a horrified warning, but it took so long to make it to his lips, Lina beat him to it.

"The hell," Lina murmured. "They've been turned to crystal." She and Gourry dropped their lassitude and hunger like too-heavy cloaks, every sense now alert for danger. Gourry's heart beat cruelly hard, but this wasn't the time yet for grief. 

Nothing moved. Even the dogs were frozen, transparent as red wine or blood in water. Lina and Gourry carefully skirted around the old woman by the door - the closest they'd come to one of the humans - her flesh, bones, internal organs were visible, reproduced perfectly in mineral. The small plants around her feet were scorched, and she gave off heat like a forge. Gourry brushed a trickle of moisture off his cheek. Just sweat, maybe.

Inside the house, as their eyes adjusted, they found themselves in a large, multi-purpose room. Entry, kitchen, dining area, fireplace, probably sleeping area for several of the family. Books and magical paraphernalia were scattered everywhere, but Lina recognized this brand of organized chaos. A gleam of silver-lavender drew their eyes to the figure slumped at the table by a window. Zelgadis raised his head as they came in, and hastily scrubbed away the salt crystals on his face. His chair tumbled backward as he stood, and he took a step forward as if to fling himself into their arms. Lina braced to take the impact, but Zel mastered himself, keeping his hands at his sides with visible effort.

"Gourry... Lina..." Lina flinched at the sound of his voice. Gourry moaned and closed the distance, taking the chimera up in a terrible embrace. "Oh, no...oh Gourry, I'm so sorry..." Zel buried his face helplessly in Gourry's chest. 

Lina swallowed and looked away, picking up a book and leafing through it sightlessly. Ordinarily she loved to watch the two men she loved best with each other; the way Gourry brought out the sweetness in Zel, the way Zel made Gourry bare his teeth and reveal his true power. They were all so much stronger together, she hated it when Zel left them. 

"Zel, what happened?" she whispered, putting the book down with faint horror at its contents. What have you done? But to ask that question aloud would only put another knife in him. No, whatever it was, she was here now to help, and ego aside, that was no small thing.

Zel kissed Gourry's hands then pushed himself away. Not too far, though - well within striking distance. He kept his eyes on Gourry's. "It's my fault. I did this. They were only trying to help, they were so nice to me...I was sure it wouldn't hurt them...but now there's something...oh gods, something in the woods..." Zel took a deep breath. "Wait. I can hear your stomachs from here; let's get you fed and then I'll explain everything in all its excruciatingly hideous detail, hm?" The smile he gave them wasn't nice, full of self-loathing like back in the old days.

The pantry was as well-supplied as Gourry remembered. He and Zel made shift in the kitchen, putting together a simple but sufficiently hearty meal for all three of them. The other souls here no longer needed such nourishment. 

Lina sighed and pushed back her last plate and put her feet up on the table. Gourry sat silent by the fire. The failing sunlight came bloody through the windows, but the heat remained as an almost audible hissing from the land.

Zel took a sip of his coffee and set the mug down. "The spell I found was only supposed to borrow the human pattern of their bodies," he said. "I linked it with another that was to separate and draw out the golem part of me, and yet another to shatter it."

"What about the Blow Demon?" Lina asked.

"I...decided that wasn't as important to exorcise. The ears I can hide...it's this damned skin..." Zel made a dismissive gesture. "Gourry, Obaa-san Gabriev gave her approval to try it, and the rest of your family didn't seem concerned about it after that."

"Granny's always been in charge," Gourry said shortly.

Zel let his head fall back and shut his eyes hard. "Ah."

Lina sighed. "So what went wrong, exactly?"

Zel leaned forward and propped an elbow on the table, drawing intricate patterns in some spilled coffee with one claw. "It went wrong from the beginning. The first spell wrenched itself out of my control, engulfing all of them, taking more than just their patterns. What it took congealed into...something...that ricocheted off the ruby shard imbedded in my golem third - I didn't know that part of the golem was still there; I thought Grandfather had more sense..."

"Wrenched itself?" Lina frowned. She knew roughly what kind of spell it must have been, and while complex, Zel ought to have had more than enough power even without magic amplifiers to control it. Unless he'd used an unusually power-hungry version. Or some force from outside had interfered. "Have you sensed Xellos near lately?"

Zel snorted. "No, but that doesn't mean anything. I'd be more than happy to blame this mess on him, but..." He shook his head. "The ricochet struck Obaa-san and the others, the dogs, the horse, cows, chickens, the cat, even some birds, mice, rats and all the insects. You saw what it did."

"What about the thing in the woods?" Gourry asked.

"It's..." Zel shuddered. Lina and Gourry exchanged a glance. Zel tried again. "It's pale as a maggot...human-shaped. I can't get near it, it evades me. I don't want to get near it, but I have the feeling I have to somehow. It doesn't have eyes...I don't know how it moves so fast...it doesn't have any kind of face at all."

"A homunculus," Lina said, curling her lip.

"Yes. But even calling it that doesn't help." Zel wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. The thing frightened him beyond reason. 

Gourry ached to comfort him; Zel was wearing some of Gourry's childhood hand-me-down clothing - a button-down flannel shirt and mid-calf breeches washed so often they were soft and supple as suede. Under other circumstances, he'd find Zel in such an uncharacteristic outfit irresistibly charming and sexy. But Gourry was having a little trouble with the concept that Zel had essentially killed Gourry's entire family in a single stroke.

"How long ago?" Lina was asking. Obviously after the incident Zel had spent all his time looking for a way to reverse what he'd done. 

"I don't know. Maybe a fortnight. Maybe longer." 

Lina surveyed the book-carnage, and Zel's haggard eyes. And how much sleep have you gotten? How much have you eaten? How many times a night do you wake up screaming... "Okay, let's have it again, with all the technical details this time, Zel. Ignore jellyfish-brains sulking over there. And then I want to go out and find this homunculus of yours."

Zel shuddered again, but managed a corner of a smile. Gourry saw Lina had her game face on, and felt the first spark of hope. 

~~~~~~~~~

The sky was a metallic black. A hot wind had arisen, raking the hissing treetops, ripping off leaves to fling in the three companions' faces. Scattered crimson statues glittered with their own heat, glowing faintly in the yellow moonlight. Zel stood trembling between Lina and Gourry on the edge of the farthest field. In Gourry's castoffs, Zel looked more than ever like a lost little boy. He hadn't told them what had happened to his own clothes, or his sword. There seemed to be nothing left of the powerful shaman, except the determination that kept him there despite his fear. 

"Let's go," Lina said, raising her voice to be heard over the wind. The homunculus, she felt, would be both drawn to and repelled by Zelgadis. It was going to be a slippery night. 

Zel cast a small Light to steady his nerves. As one they stepped into the forest. In the shelter of the trees the wind was somewhat less, but they panted in the smothering heat. Gourry led them down faint game trails in the darkness, Lina taking up the rear. Now that they were out here, she found she wasn't much happier about it than Zel. There was something here all right, something radiating malevolence and virulent hatred. Something that lusted after the taste of death. She watched Zel's tense back with more sympathy. 

Gourry put a hand out to stop them. "There. To the left."

Lina drew a breath through her teeth. A pale, lissome flickering, a lithe darting figure, with wild, dark hair on a faceless head. In form it was like a human boy of fourteen or so, slender, its flawless skin incandescent. It was hideous. The head turned toward them slowly, and the malevolence swung to bear on them directly like a blow. Lina clenched her jaw, like Gourry, standing fast beside Zel, who was starting to crumble under the onslaught, his resistance wearing painfully thin.

Gourry shouted suddenly and dashed off to the side. Lina understood instantly and did the same in her direction - he meant to trap the thing in a triangle. If Zel could hold his corner...

Lina cast Lighting as she ran, sending another one to hover near Gourry. The thing in the middle twitched and paced, rage striking out at them with enough force to draw blood. Lina and Gourry tightened the net, driving it toward Zel. 

Zel choked back a scream and held his place. The faceless thing gave a piercing cry and dove at him, hands outstretched like grasping talons. There was a carmine flash - neither Lina nor Gourry properly saw what happened - and the homunculus disappeared.

They crashed straight through the underbrush to find Zel lying twisted in the bracken, with pinprick pupils and his breath coming in rasping gasps, his long-fingered hands tightening around his own throat. Gourry pulled him up by the shoulders, but neither slapping nor shaking roused him. Lina didn't dare try a Restoration spell, suspecting it would in this case do far more harm than good. Gourry's intuition, however, as usual led him true. He held Zel close, giving the chimera his warmth and scent; whispering in a tapered ear all the things he'd whispered and moaned the last time they'd made love. Lina, blushing, forbore to read his lips after the first few words.

After what seemed too long, Zel's grip loosened, and he began to shake violently. His eyes cleared somewhat, but his face retained its terrified mask. Gourry hauled him to his feet and they retreated with all due speed to the house, dragging the rags of their dignity behind them like shredded leaves. 

Gourry deposited Zel with Lina by the fire and dashed into the kitchen to make hot tea. Lina put her cloak around Zel's shoulders, though she knew he wasn't cold. "Zel? Zel, can you tell me what happened...?" He was scratching at his throat, staring into the flames. She tried to pull his hands away but couldn't match his physical strength. "Hurry up, Gourry. Come on, Zel; if you don't pull yourself together I'm gonna fireball you myself!"

"Don't you dare!" Gourry yelled as the kettle started to whistle. "That used to be my favorite shirt!"

Lina cocked an eyebrow at her ridiculously tall companion. "Yeah? And how old were you when you could wear it?"

Gourry put the kettle down, looked at the ceiling and counted on his fingers. "Uh. Six, I think...."

Lina sighed. "I guess I'm not surprised." She turned back to Zel. His head was down, his hands were still too close to his neck for comfort, but there seemed to be an expression suspiciously like a smirk on what she could see of his face. "Hi there. Feeling any better?"

"Tea," said Gourry, handing them both mugs and seating himself just behind Zel. He drew the chimera onto his lap and made Zel rest his spiky head on his shoulder. "Drink." Zel obeyed, steady enough now to hold the mug without help. Lina blew across her tea and glared into the fire.

"Well, we sure made a mess of it. Sorry, Zel, I didn't think it would go for you like that." The situation irked her more the more she thought about it. Zel was right, he was going to have to confront that homunculus somehow, without it killing him, preferably. So. They had a human-shaped spirit of hatred spawned from the human elements and life-force of Gourry's family and Zel's human third, animated by magic and Zel's obsessive self-loathing. And it was tied in somehow to the ruby that had given life to Zel's rock golem third. Ruby. Ruby-eye. Great. No, no, there was no use complicating this beyond the necessary - rubies were fairly common for that purpose, if you wanted a really powerful golem. 

So why had Rezo left it in? Zel had his own life-force, the ruby wasn't needed once the merge had taken place. Lina mentally shook herself. Trying to follow Rezo's reasoning was more Zel's line than hers, and it was too late to ask the man himself. Not that he'd have answered. A useless question then. The ruby was in Zel's body somewhere and that was part of why the spells had gone wrong - a variable Zel hadn't known to take into account. Even if they could take the ruby out and recast the spell, that wouldn't bring Gourry's family back to normal. And two weeks or more of Zel's research hadn't produced any answers.

That left the homunculus. It sounded too simple, but the principles were sound. Destroy the homunculus and direct the energies back to their starting places. Easier said than done, with Zel the way he was now. Lina tried not to think about the specifics, but she knew Gourry was always good for Zel's morale. She looked at the pair beside her. Zel had finished the tea; he was only trembling sporadically now, but he stared again into his faceless horror with ghoulish fervor. Picking old scabs, no doubt. Scratching idly at his throat, while Gourry batted his hands away. 

"Hmph." Lina reached over and laid her hand on Zel's cheek. The chimera blinked, taken by surprise. "Sleep," Lina said gently. The spell snuck past all his barriers; Zel closed his eyes and fell limp in Gourry's arms.

Gourry grinned ruefully at her as she stood, yawning. "I'm for bed, guys," she said. "Oyasumi." 

"Thanks, Lina," Gourry replied. "Oyasumi."

She winked at him and stretched. Leave them to themselves for tonight. The morning was sure to bring new ideas. After breakfast, anyway. She picked a bedroom at random and shut the door behind her.

Gourry watched the door close and thought about bed himself. But Zel was already asleep. Lina had gone into Gervalie and Gabby's bedroom, so his own room, likely now usually occupied by Cousin Garstang, was still open. The fire hadn't been a big one to begin with, just enough to cook by, and it was now dying. Gourry set Zel down and raked ashes over the embers anyway. He went in and turned the covers down on his old bed while he was at it, then retrieved the slumbering Zel.

Arranging the chimera in something like a comfortable position, Gourry decided the flannel shirt, as cute as it was on Zel, really wasn't necessary. One button at a time, slowly, in the light of the Blood Moon. This kind of heat this late in the year was pretty unusual, but Gourry's knees told him it wasn't going to cool off soon. His clothes quickly joined Zel's shirt on the floor. He spooned up behind the chimera and pulled just the sheet over their legs.

This is not going to work. Reunited with Zel after months apart, and after a stressful evening, Gourry found himself far too stirred up to sleep. Not naked, in the same bed with him... I could move to a different... No, I want to be here in case he does wake up. And in the morning. Mm, yes, morning. 

He squirmed in anticipation, but that didn't help his current situation. Neither did Zel's round little ass up against his groin. Gourry sat up and scooted a small distance toward the foot of the bed. Would Zel really mind if I just...no, he would really mind. I can't... No, but there was something he could do. 

One-handed, he groped around the room for a bit of cloth or a cup. Silly, his own shirt - the one Gourry had worn, not Zel's flannel - would do, needed washing already anyway. He climbed up and knelt at the foot of the mattress, knees spread wide, watching Zel breathe in the moonlight. Moving his hips rather than his hands, Gourry imagined peeling the short trousers off Zel's slim hips. Down to the ankles, spread the legs...ah, Zel was so responsive if you tapped him right. Gourry opened his mouth, imagining taking in Zel's sweet, hard stalk, stone tip bumping against his lips, working his way down...he groaned and his hips moved faster, shaking the bed, but Zel didn't stir. Little pebble nipples, fun to bite...Gourry squeezed himself harder. Harder, Zel, harder... He pretended his hands were Zel's playing with him while Zel rammed him from behind. Harder, Zel, dear gods... 

He barely got the shirt up in time, overflowing and slippery. When he could breathe again, he cradled his shrinking, twitching member, watching Zel sleep. 

~~~~~~~~~

A mild bump from behind roused him. Someone's hand was on his crotch. Zel grinned in delight, forgetting for a moment everything but the sunny presence beside him in the bed. "Morning, Gourry," he murmured, rolling over. The light coming in the window was actinic white; it was already a muggy, hot day outside. But that was fine for what Zel had in mind right then.

"Mmm. Morning, Zel." Clear sapphire eyes glowed at him, golden hair rayed out like a more benevolent sun on the pillows. Zel wriggled on top for a good long kiss. Gourry was already naked, how convenient, but why was he still in those ridiculous trousers? Must do something about that; Gourry would help. Yes, there go the hands...trousers and sheet were soon kicked off... The kiss was getting more involved, and wandering. But this was no time for subtlety. Zel straddled Gourry's hips and sat up. Gourry watched intently and tried to relax as Zel positioned himself, took him in, then leaned back to get the best angle inside, letting his head fall back, exposing all of himself to Gourry's view. Gourry rubbed Zel's thighs, but provided no other motion - he was Zel's tool, used shamelessly for Zel's pleasure. It was so hard to hang on, though, until Zel was ready...especially when he could see the little droplets gathering... Impossible to see the glow in this light, and the colors were faint, but Zel's fluid was unique and wonderful under any circumstances, far as Gourry was concerned. Zel's body moved faster, more serpentine, writhing over him, pulling on Gourry's member until the swordsman had to bite his arm to hold back his moans and his own climax. Zel thrashed, clutching at his own hair to keep from tearing the blankets. Gourry tried to catch some of Zel's spill in his mouth, but most of it spattered across his chest, so he scooped it up with his fingers, licking them while Zel calmed down a little.

The chimera had no trouble maintaining his erection, though. Gourry grinned and rolled eagerly onto his belly, thrusting his buttocks upward. Zel stroked him indulgently, toying with the come-slicked opening while Gourry sighed happily and held his pillow close. Gourry again commanded himself to relax, but went all over gooseflesh as Zel slid gently inside. Harder, Zel, oh harder... Zel, however, moved slowly, tenderly, massaging Gourry's back and buttocks, resting fully sheathed before drawing out and slipping in again. Gourry's skin gleamed with sweat; he shivered under Zel's hands, gasping like a sprinter, almost in tears, trying to hold out a little longer. 

It was no use. Gourry sobbed and laughed and came all at once; Zel chuckled low in his throat and thrust a few more times, enjoying the pulsing within before allowing himself a second release and withdrawing to cuddle on the sweaty sheets. 

"Suppose Lina's awake yet?"

"After all the noise you made?"

"Me?? You're the one made the headboard bang against the wall like that. It's a wonder she didn't come pounding on the door to tell us to shut up."

"Shall we get up?"

"I'm hungry."

"Yes, you are. I am too. And I need a bath."

"You don't sweat..."

"But you do."

"...Oh."

They leapt up and pulled on pants, chasing each other out of the room to where Lina sat grouchily at the table finishing off the breakfast she'd had to make for herself while waiting for the boys to get up. "Bath! Bath! Bath!" the boys shouted, and grabbed towels from the pantry, and swiped some rolls from Lina's leftovers, tumbling out the back door and around to the outdoor bathtub. Lina hoped they appreciated that she'd left them a full tub, and it was so hot Zel wouldn't even have to reheat the water. 

After some time, the splashing and laughter quieted down. Lina eyed the congealing plates on the table with distaste. Gourry liked washing dishes, didn't he? But she wanted to use the table. Well, putting the dishes in the sink did not constitute "doing the dishes", right? Right. She cleared the table and set up her diagram, four stones at the cardinal points. She just wanted to make sure Xellos hadn't been involved, so she was going to do a quick and dirty scrying for general Mazoku, with a little ad lib addendum meant to highlight Xellos' particular and all too familiar signature. If he'd been in this area within the past month or two she'd skin him alive and make a rug.

~~~~~~~~~

Well, that settles that. Lina sighed and brushed the ashes off the table. It looked like Zel had buggered things up all by himself. Unfortunately. She'd looked forward to the possibility of sending her sister a Mazoku rug for Yule...

Weren't those guys out of the tub yet? Lina put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. She was tired of being cooped up in this stifling hovel. It was long past time to get out and doing. Maybe by day the homunculus would be easier to catch.

Lina went out the front door, skirting Granny Gabriev's statue, going the long way around to where the tub was screened by small cypresses intertwined with honeysuckle. She stopped. They were still in there, heads and shoulders above the surface, kissing. Well, Gourry's feet were sticking up too, behind Zel... Lina had seen them look at each other intently, and had known they wanted to kiss each other, and yesterday she'd seen Zel kiss Gourry's hands, but she'd never seen them do it like this before. It was like they were nibbling on each other, mostly, but then they'd put their mouths right up against each other like they were suckling. Weird. She saw flashes of tongue now and then too. How slimy! The boys seemed to be enjoying it, though.

Then Zel stood up. Lina covered her mouth. She definitely shouldn't be watching this. Oh. My. That doesn't normally stick up like that, does it? No, how could he get into his pants if it did? His sword belt would... 

Gourry was running his hands over Zel's wet skin. There was a quality of translucence to it, like alabaster, despite the color. It looked smooth and slick, shining in the sun. Gourry seemed to be pretty appreciative, though Zel was keeping his eyes closed. Then Zel did something really weird. He swung one leg over one side of the tub, and the other leg over the other side, leaning back with his elbows on the rim behind him. It looked like a terribly awkward, vulnerable position to Lina. Gourry sat up and leaned forward, hands still roaming, and started to kiss and...and lick!...Zel down there! Lina bit her fingers. From the strange little movements of his torso, and his tightly curled toes, Zel sure seemed to be liking what Gourry was doing. Lina wondered how you could bear to kiss someone after you knew where their mouth had been. Still...

Some interesting things were occurring in her own body, Lina finally noticed. Part of it was like she had to pee, which she ignored. But her breasts felt heavy and hot, the nipples poking almost painfully against her shirt. Hot, sure, it was a hot day. Heavy, though...heavy??? Reluctantly, she tore her eyes away from the activities of the two in the tub and looked down her shirt. Was it her imagination? She cupped herself to be sure... Yes! They were bigger!! Just a little, but...bigger! Why hadn't anyone ever mentioned this before?? She wanted to strangle someone. If she'd known watching Zel and Gourry act like rutting cats would make her boobs bigger she'd have started years ago!! Damn!

Well, she wasn't going to tell Amelia, that's for sure. Amelia already had bigger boobs than any kid her age should be dealing with. So who had Amelia been watching...? Urk! Lina really didn't want to think about that.

Gourry's head bobbed up and down. That was the goofiest thing Lina had seen in a long time, and she almost laughed. But Zel's mouth was open, and he was gasping, sounded like Gourry's name or something. Suddenly Gourry stopped and moved a little lower, apparently sucking on Zel's, er, jewels... All right, in Zel's case she could see why you'd call them that. Zel's back arched and opalescent fluid spurted out of his...Oh my! Gourry was watching the fountain with equal amazement it seemed. What the...? Then she remembered. Oh. That must be the male...stuff. Gourry was lapping it up like it was delicious. Eew. Zel let himself sink back into the water, and he and Gourry started kissing again. After... Gross!! Lina stuck out her tongue and ran back into the house. Boys were so disgusting!

She couldn't seem to get the images out of her mind, though. And her boobs were still bigger. Yoshaa!

~~~~~~~~

"Jeeze, you guys, it's about time." Lina put down the book she'd been reading as Zel and Gourry sauntered in, wearing towels as they'd forgotten to bring clean clothes out with them.

"When's lunch?" Gourry had the cheek to ask as they passed her. Lina threw the book at him and he and Zel ducked hastily into his room. A short time later they emerged; Zel wearing more of Gourry's old clothes and Gourry wearing some of Cousin Garstang's. It was weird to see them out of their usual garb, Lina thought, but kind of nice, too. Gourry went right to the kitchen nook and started fixing lunch. Zel started to pick up the scattered books, but Lina stopped him with a serious question.

"Hey, Zel, where's your sword?" The double entendre occurred to her just a bit too late, and Lina spent a few minutes cursing the impulse that had taken her out to the tub... This aspect to adult life sure played hell with one's concentration!

Zel put the stack of books he'd collected on the table. "Hm. Good question. When I first arrived, Obaa-san said I wouldn't need it. She put it somewhere, I guess."

"You mean to tell me you don't know where your sword is?? Zel! Are you out of your tiny little gravelly mind? What were you thinking??"

"She was right though," Zel said. "I haven't needed it."

"I know where she'll have put it," Gourry said over his shoulder. "I'll show you after lunch, 'kay?"

They all ate quietly. Zel and Gourry thoughtful, and sending little affectionate looks back and forth; Lina getting crabbier - her boobs were back to their normal size. Maybe she had to watch Zel and Gourry more often for the effect to be permanent.

After lunch, Gourry led them down into the cellar, to a door only blood kin of his family could open. Beyond was a small chamber where the Hikari no Ken had rested down through generations. Where that legendary weapon had once been kept, now hung Zel's Astral Vine. 

Zel bit his lips, touched and honored, and took the sword down. He looked into Lina's cerise eyes and shivered. What he had to do now seemed obvious, but doing it...and to ask for help... He clenched his jaw. Where had pride gotten his grandfather? Where had Zel's pride gotten him? He closed his eyes and tipped his head back. "Oh, help," he whispered.

"Well, duh," said Lina. Gourry grinned and squeezed Zel's shoulder. 

They set out into the steaming forest, their blades in accustomed places on their hips. They searched all through the afternoon, but the wraith-homunculus eluded them. It was there, though. They could feel the weight of its implacable malice the moment they'd stepped beneath the canopy of the trees. But it was not until twilight that they caught a glimpse of hideous, glaring white. 

Zel moaned and fell to one knee, leaning heavily on his sheathed sword. Lina and Gourry looked at each other. "Here we go," Lina said.

Lina and Gourry raced outward, spreading their circle; Lina casting wards as she ran, Gourry drawing the Elmekia Blade as a precaution. One way or another, they weren't letting the thing get away this time.

Suddenly a host of other figures rose from the ground. Low-Mazoku Earth spirits attracted by the powerful disruptions in the magical fields. Lina swore under her breath. "You bastards are definitely not helping!" she shouted and waded in. On the other side, Gourry was already swinging wide, glowing arcs through the melee. 

Slash and splatter, rain of dirt and oily blood...they fought their way through and met in the middle. Now where the hell was Zel? 

A malevolent cry brought their heads around. Zel's sword glowed ruby, matching the homunculus' ragged hair. It reached for him, mouthlessly screaming. Zel was forced to his knees, head back, teeth bared, left hand groping for his own throat. Lina and Gourry ran toward him. Zel's lips moved over his teeth, Lina felt the streaming jets of magic around them shift, spiraling in at Zel's command. Shaking, Astral Vine rose slowly - then Zel leapt up, ruby flashed out and down, the earth gave a single lurch, rending the trees. Lina and Gourry held on to each other and raised their hands against the flash of power as the cloven homunculus sublimated into plasma, shrieking outwards - at first in all directions, then the streamers were bent, directed back to the farm.

The sun set. Eldritch afterimages faded. Zel lay unconscious in the bracken, convulsing, facedown. Changing. Blood gushed from his nose and mouth, trickled out his ears and eyes, navel, and from between his legs, as for the second time in less than ten years his body was remade from the inside out.

"Gourry, hurry," Lina directed. "Hold his head so he doesn't choke." She knew she wasn't strong enough to do it herself, and had to watch helplessly as the chimera thrashed and writhed.

Gourry sheathed his sword and held Zel firmly until the convulsions quieted. Swallowing tears, he picked Zel up, not mentioning that he felt a little lighter. Lina stooped and collected something shining dully red in the dark.

They staggered back to the farmhouse, more than welcomed by a golden glow from the windows. Cousin Garstang and one of the dogs met them at the edge of the field closest to the house. "Well, come on in, boys; Granny's waiting!"

Delicious smells wafting from the kitchen lent speed to their feet and they soon found themselves surrounded by Gourry's rough-and-tumble, noisy family - though as soon as Gourry dropped Zel off in bed, Granny sent them outside briefly to wash up before dinner. Everyone ate until they were stuffed.

"It's like nothing ever happened," Lina said quietly to Gourry, patting her bulging tummy. "And they treat you like you haven't been gone for years, too." Lina herself had been accepted as Gourry's little friend with the itchy feet. She supposed they'd known who Zel was, too.

"Sure," Gourry drawled sleepily. "You've seen me write letters home whenever we get a chance."

"Yeah, but..." 

Gourry shrugged and accepted one more tankard of applejack from Uncle Grebitus. 

Gabby, one of Gourry's younger sisters, and well on her way to being a fine horse-leech, came out of Zel's room and smiled at her brother. "He's just sleeping, seems. But if he don't wake in the morning I got some liniment..."

"Liniment??" Lina sputtered.

Gabby grinned at her. "Sure. Not to rub on, but it stinks to Cepheid, bad enough to wake the dead!" The Gabrievs all laughed at this, and Lina snorted. But she followed Gourry in to check on Zel before turning in for the night. 

Holding a candle up, she could see the changes wreaked even on his face. Everything about him had been narrowed and stretched. He was at least a couple of inches taller, she suspected, though still nowhere near as tall as Gourry. His ears and claws were longer and thinner, his features finer, more elfin - or demonic. His hair coiled down to the floor. Chimeras had never been Lina's forte, but she estimated he was at least half Blow Demon now; less than twenty percent left of his human part. She'd heard several of Gourry's family members mention how all their little aches and pains were suddenly gone; old scars, too. Everyone looked and felt ten years younger. All the grown-ups, anyway. The parts of himself that had gone to make the homunculus - Zel hadn't taken them back. 

~~~~~~~~~

"Gonna rain, soon, I reckon," old Uncle Grebitus said. Cousin Garstang nodded silently and chewed a grass stem. A mellow sun peered at them from between white fluffy clouds. Playful breezes ruffled the chaff in the mown fields. Harvest was in. Life was good.

~~~~~~~~~

Everything hurt. Zel rolled over and hit the floor. 

He felt hollowed out, rubbed raw. The blood raced far too quickly through his veins. Mice scratching out in the barn scraped his eardrums. The fire inside him would break out any minute and burn down the house. He could already hear it hissing. He tried to scrabble to hands and knees, but his arms were tangled in his hair. 

What?

An iron cane tapped the floor by the doorway. "What you doing out of bed, lad? I brought you some broth." Granny Obaa-san smiled down kindly into frightened, jewel-like, upswept eyes. She turned and hollered over her shoulder, still balancing a tray in one hand. "Gourry-boy! Put that hay-fork down and get in here!"

"We got all the hay in before it started, Granny," Gourry reported cheerfully. He stopped and looked past her into the room. "Oh! Zel!" He rushed in, but fell back the second his hands touched Zel's shoulders. "Ow! Gran, he's hot!"

"Get the mitts out of the kitchen, then, mumble-head. Take him outside."

"Yes'm!"

Gourry did as told, collecting Lina as he went. Between the two of them they helped Zel out into the cool rain - it seethed and steamed off his skin. After a while he found he could stand unaided, and Lina and Gourry retreated to the shelter of the porch. 

They'd gotten their first clear look at him in the silvery light. His skin had changed as much as the rest of him - the imbedded rocks, instead of being in spots and splotches as before, now formed thin stripes and swirls, as though his skin had been melted, stirred, then cooled slowly. Metamorphic. Lina had no idea what he was going to do with all that hair. It dragged to the ground, cresting from a distinct widow's peak. His eyes were startling, too, and not just from the altered shape. The metallic turquoise irises had been liberally splashed with streaks of bright gold. And he had eyelashes most girls would kill for.

Zel stared down at his long, thin hands for a long time.

Lina crossed her arms and sighed. Far be it for her to tell Zel what to do, er, not when it came to his quest for a cure, anyway, but this wasn't something they were going to be able to just walk away from. "Hey, Zel," she called to him, raising her voice to be heard over the heavy rain. Though with those ears his hearing was probably even keener than it had been. "If I were you, I'd quit while I was ahead."

Zel clenched his hands into fists, then let his arms fall loosely to his sides. "Then Rezo won." He looked at them with uncanny eyes. "Even in death, he defeated me." 

"You have GOT to be kidding." Lina looked around for something to throw. Gourry scooted out of reach. 

A low chuckle stopped her. "I'm sorry. I really am an idiot, aren't I." 

Lina growled. 

Zel cocked his head and smiled. Lina blinked, then looked over to Gourry's left, where Gabby and Gervalie were watching from the window. Gourry shook his fist at them and they scrambled away, giggling.

Lina rolled her eyes, though she couldn't blame the girls. Zel moved like silk underwater. And the white shirt he was wearing had gone transparent in the rain. "If you're looking for something to do now that you're mostly a demon, you could always try staying with us, instead of taking off all the time."

"Oh, certainly. I blend in so well now..."

"I haven't noticed a lot of people running away from you screaming."

"That's true. They're usually running away from you...I guess I really do look normal, next to you."

"Hey!"

"I dunno, Lina. Won't we have to spend most of our time fending off a bunch of guys trying to ask him out?"

"Gourry!" An inelegant squawk from Zel. He took a step that blurred him right up to Gourry, and glared narrow-eyed up into the swordsman's face. "Hmph." He shouldered past, swishing into the house. Lina restrained herself from stepping on his hair, but only just. The look on Gourry's face was too good to spoil.

"Come on, jellyfish-brains." They followed Zel inside, where Auntie Gemini waited with nice warm blankets. 

~~~~~~~~~

Little itchy-feet had gone, taking their Gourry and that lovely Zellie-boy with her. Gervalie and Gabby were out at Nara's forge with Garstang, deciding what to do with all that hair Zellie-boy left behind. Gourry had had to use his fancy sword to cut it. Not all off, no, not short even. Zellie-boy still had a pretty pony-tail to sway to and fro. Made of wire, it was, how funny. Garstang thought it'd melt okay if they were careful, and no one in these parts had ever seen metal that color. Gervalie and Gabby would have quite a trousseau if they wanted, if the forging worked out. Granny smiled as she puttered around, tidying up.

Hmm. What's this? On the windowsill, a dull red stone, with a faint heart of fire. Granny put it in her pocket and went down to the cellar. Down to the safe place. Yes, no sense leaving something like that out where anyone could find it and maybe get themselves into mischief.

Yes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Song: _Yes, Anastasia_ by Tori Amos  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I know what you want, the magpies have come  
mmm...

if you know me so well then, tell me which hand I use

make them go  
make it go

saw her there in a restaurant  
poppy don't go  
I know your mother is a good one  
but Poppy don't go  
I'll take you home

show me the things I've been missing  
show me the ways I forgot to be speaking  
show me the ways to get back to the garden

show me the ways  
to get around the get around  
show me the ways to button up  
buttons that have forgotten their buttons  
well we can't have that forgetting that

girls girl  
what have we done  
what have we done  
to ourselves, yes

driving on the vine  
over clothes lines  
but officer I saw the sign

thought I'd been through this, in 1919  
counting the tears of ten thousand men  
and gathered them all, but my feet are slipping

there's something we left on the window sill  
there's something we left, yes

we'll see how brave you are  
we'll see how fast you'll be running  
we'll see how brave you are  
yes, Anastasia

and all your dollies have friends

thought she deserved no less than she'd give  
well happy birthday, her blood's on my hands  
it's kind of a shame, cause I did like that dress

it's funny the things that you find in the rain  
the things that you find, yes

in the mall and in the date-mines  
in the knots still in her hair  
on the bus I'm on my way down  
on my way down  
all the girls seem to be...  
...there

we'll see how brave you are  
we'll see how fast you'll be running  
we'll see how brave you are  
we'll see...  
we'll see how brave you are  
we'll see how fast you'll be running  
we'll see how brave you are  
yes, Anastasia

come along now little darling  
come along now with me  
come along now little darling...

we'll see how brave you are


End file.
